Chocolate-Filled Sweet Potato Cupcakes

I found this recipe in a Better Homes and Garden magazine and had to try it. Using sweet potatoes instead of oil and the combination of dark, semi-sweet and milk chocolate together was something I couldn't resist. I was very impressed with these cupcakes and my family enjoyed them too, I took them to my Thanksgiving Day feast. They were yummy spice cupcakes with a creamy chocolate icing, I placed an extra dark chocolate kiss on top, just for fun. My mom has already requested that I make these for Christmas!

Chocolate-Filled Sweet Potato Cupcakes

Cupcakes:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 large sweet potato, cooked at 425 for 45-50 minutes until fork tender and cooled to room temperature

3 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

24 chocolate kisses (I used dark chocolate kisses)

Steps: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. Peel baked sweet potato and mash it up in a small bowl. Set aside. 

Combine butter and sugar in mixer with flat beater attachment at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat again to combine. Add  milk, vanilla extract and sweet potato and beat again, scraping down the sides of the bowl to get everything fully incorporated. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Do not overmix. Spoon batter into muffin tins and place in the oven for 5 minutes. 

Place chocolate kiss in the middle of each cupcake and press down into the center. You want the kiss to be completely covered by the cupcake batter.

Bake cupcakes for another 15 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Let cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.  

Frosting:

12 oz semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup minus 2 tbsp butter, at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk (optional)

Steps:

Melt chocolate in the top bowl of a double boiler. You can also melt the chocolate in the microwave by heating it up in 30 second increments until it is melted and smooth, stirring often. Stir until chocolate is completely melted,then pour chocolate into bowl of electric mixer to cool for 5-10 minutes. Beat chocolate with flat beater attachment of mixer for 30 seconds, then gradually add butter, one tbsp at a time until fully incorporated. Add powdered sugar and beat again until smooth and creamy. If frosting is too thick add milk, 1 tbsp at a time, until it is spreadable.

Pipe 2-3 tbsp frosting onto each cupcake, or smooth frosting onto cupcake with offset spatula. 

Cupcakes will stay fresh for 3-4 days when stored in the refrigerator. 

Makes 24 cupcakes.